Faculty Directors

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez, M.D. | castelam@fiu.edu

Dr. Castellano-Sanchez has been Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) since its inception. Dr. Castellano-Sanchez trained in Anatomic & Clinical Pathology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach and served two additional post-doctoral fellowships in Neuropathology at Emory University in Atlanta and Hematopathology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/University of Saint Louis; since his return to south Florida, he has been the Coordinator for Teaching and Research at the Department of Pathology in Mount Sinai. Currently he teaches to the Pathology residents at Mount Sinai Medical Center and during the first three years of medical school here at FIU. He was honored by HWCOM’s first class to receive the Teacher of the Year Award and as Co-Director also received the Best Pre-Clinical Course Award from the same class. Beginning Fall 2016, he will be teaching a Global Learning rated course titled: “History of Medicine through Art” for the Honors College. His research interest includes neoplastic hematologic and non-hematologic diseases, brain tumors and particularly lymphomas in brain tissue. In addition, Dr. Castellano-Sanchez is a volunteer Docent at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU and is passionate about anything that combines goodness, enrichment, personal growth / community growth and community engagement. He enjoys teaching and hopes to convey and exchange ideas with his students.

Cesar Castillo, M.A. | cecastil@fiu.edu

Cesar Castillo is a cultural anthropologist and Faculty Director for the FIU Honors Japan Study Abroad. As Faculty Director Cesar teaches on Japanese Indigenous Ainu culture, Edo period society, and contemporary Indigenous affairs. As Faculty Director, Cesar combines his fieldwork experience and intimate knowledge of Ainu culture with broader global perspectives to immerse students in global cultural exchange. Cesar earned his MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and BA in Sociology and Anthropology at FIU.

As a PhD. Student at the Department of Global and sociocultural studies. Cesar’s research is centered around academic tourism and educational experiences between study-abroad students and Indigenous communities in Latin America and Japan. His research stems from his long engagement with indigenous communities in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Japan as well as passion for immersive education.

Professionally, Cesar’s a seasoned researcher who has worked in both private and public industries. Specializing in qualitative methodologies, Cesar facilitates cross-cultural understanding for business communication and global brand strategy, fostering inclusive product design across various industries such as education, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals.

Prem Chapagain, Ph.D. | chapagap@fiu.edu

Dr. Chapagain is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Florida International University, specializing in biological physics. His research focuses on the computational investigations of the structure and function of biomolecules, an area that is highly interdisciplinary in nature. He has extensively published on various topics of biophysics including the spreading dynamics of infectious diseases, novel antimicrobial compounds against antibiotic-resistant pathogens, DNA and RNA binding proteins, membrane-protein interactions, dynamics of viral proteins of emerging viruses such as Ebola and Marburg viruses, and more recently SARS-CoV-2. He has developed an excellent research infrastructure in computational biophysics at FIU with external funding from the NSF, NIH, DoD, and industry partners. He has developed dozens of collaborations within FIU and institutions around the world, including Purdue, Notre Dame, Cambridge, La Jolla Institute of Immunology, Johns Hopkins, UM, and Tulane. Dr. Chapagain has been recognized by multiple teaching and research awards, including the 2019 Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award and 2022 Faculty Excellence in Research Award. Dr. Chapagain has a highly successful record of teaching and mentoring both graduate and undergraduate students. Graduated students have been placed in prominent labs, including at the NIH, Columbia University, and John Hopkins University, and many of the students he mentored have been recognized by FIU as the Real Triumphs graduates.

Cory Fairfield, M.A. | cfairfie@fiu.edu

My name is Cory Fairfield, and I've been part of the FIU community for over ten years. I started my academic journey here at Florida International University, where I completed both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. Currently, I'm working towards my Ed.D in Adult Education and Human Resource Development and expect to graduate in Fall 2026.

Aside from a little bit of teaching, I currently work full-time at FIU as the Associate Director of Academic Support Services for CARTA and am well-versed in what you all are going through as undergraduate students. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places to eat, exercising, and spending time with my wife and daughter. I am also an avid gamer and enjoy watching the latest movies in theaters.

For context, I am also a graduate of the Honors College, where I had the opportunity to participate in both the Costa Rica program and the Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam program in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, I've completed a number of other study abroad programs, including in the Bahamas and Germany. This will be my 2nd year teaching this specific program.

Eloisa C. Rodriguez-Dod, J.D. | elrodrig@fiu.edu

Eloisa C. Rodriguez-Dod, Professor of Law and former Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, joined the FIU College of Law in 2012. Professor Rodriguez-Dod served for several years as the Director of FIU Law study abroad in Seville, Spain. Prior to joining FIU, she was a Professor of Law at NSU College of Law, where she also served as the Academic Director of its University of Barcelona dual-degree program. Professor Rodriguez-Dod has been selected “Professor of the Year” at both law schools and, in 2016, was the recipient of the university-wide FIU Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. She is a recognized authority in property, estates, elder law, and real estate transactions.

Before joining academia, Professor Rodriguez-Dod practiced law at White & Case. She graduated cum laude from the University of Miami Law School, where she was Special Features and Reports Editor of the Inter-American Law Review and inducted into Order of the Coif. She holds a B.A. in International Marketing & Finance from the University of Miami, where she graduated magna cum laude, and an M.B.A. from Florida International University.

Professor Rodriguez-Dod’s scholarship focuses on the necessary balancing of autonomy versus societal goals. Her work includes books, monographs, book chapters, and law review articles. She has been cited, quoted, and excerpted in texts, scholarly books, articles, academic blogs, and leading treatises. She is frequently invited to speak at panels and legal conferences.

In addition to her service to FIU, Professor Rodriguez-Dod also has a strong commitment to national legal education organizations. She has served on the Audit Committee of the Law School Admissions Council and on American Bar Association site evaluation teams. She is also past Chair and member of the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Minority Groups.

Andrej Milic, J.D. | amilic@fiu.edu

Born in Vienna, Austria to Yugoslavian parents, Mr. Andrej Milic, is the Director of Development at FIU College of Law. Mr. Milic obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science Degree from Miami Dade College where he was a member of the honors college. He obtained his Master of Management Degree with a specialization in Justice Administration from St. Thomas University and his Juris Doctor of Law from University of Florida. Mr. Milic earned his LL.M. in Intercultural Human Rights at. St. Thomas University School of Law. Mr. Milic is a licensed attorney in Florida and is a participant in the Florida Bar Leadership Academy Class X. Mr. Milic has developed courses for aspiring attorneys and teaches at numerous universities. Mr. Milic lectures internationally on various international legal topics. Mr. Milic’s community involvement includes Business Network International, Hispanic National Bar Association, Serbian American Professional Network and the National Association of Prelaw Advisors.